vapour pressure

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Word: Vapour Pressure

Definition: Vapour pressure is the pressure that a vapor (which is a gas made from a liquid) exerts when it is in contact with its liquid form. It often refers to the pressure when the vapor is "saturated," meaning it can't hold any more vapor at that temperature.

Explanation for Beginners:

Imagine you have a bottle of water. If you close the bottle tightly, some of the water will turn into vapor (water in the gas form) and fill the space above the water. The force that this vapor pushes against the inside of the bottle is called the vapour pressure.

Usage Instructions:

• Vapour pressure is usually discussed in science, especially in chemistry or physics.
• It helps understand how liquids behave at different temperatures.

Example:

• "When the temperature of water increases, its vapour pressure also increases, meaning more water turns into vapor."

Advanced Usage:

• In scientific contexts, vapour pressure is important for understanding processes like boiling and evaporation. For example, knowing the vapour pressure of a substance helps scientists predict how it will behave under different conditions.

Word Variants:

• Vapor (US spelling): This is the same concept but spelled differently in American English.
• Saturated Vapour Pressure: This refers specifically to the maximum vapour pressure when the vapor is in contact with its liquid.

Different Meanings:

• Vapour pressure is mainly used in a scientific context. In everyday conversation, it is less common, but it relates to weather (humidity) and cooking (boiling).

Synonyms:

• Vapor pressure (American English)
• Partial pressure (in some contexts, but this has a slightly different meaning)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs that directly relate to vapour pressure, as it is a technical term. However, you may hear phrases like "pressure builds" in a metaphorical sense.

Conclusion:

Vapour pressure is an important concept in understanding how liquids and gases interact, especially in scientific fields.

Academic

Noun

1. the pressure exerted by a vapor; often understood to mean saturated vapor pressure (the vapor pressure of a vapor in contact with its liquid form)

Synonyms

• vapor pressure